2009-07-24 TPALAMANUI - Laserfiche WebLink

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problems on the highway and surely creates a serious hazard and County liability with use of Makalei Drive for these purposes. I urge you to look carefully and keep the needs of West HawaiÒi citizens foremost in your decision making. We have been a mushroom far too long and there remain too many unanswered questions of why three years have passed with no effort on the part of Palamanui to honor their agreed commitment in exchange for concessions made by HawaiÒi County citizens. Difficulty in obtaining financing was hardly a sound reason three years ago and we are not so ignorant to know that projects of this size are now planned and funding arranged years in advance. In a recent meeting with Palamanui representative Roger Harris, he was reminded of Ordinance 06-105 Condition Z that construction vehicles should not utilize Makalei Drive. His reply, he felt he didnÓt, this did not apply to PalamanuiÓs need to cross the lower boundary for upgrading the water system in Makalei that is needed for the Palamanui project. Is he the one who decides when the law is applicable and to whom? Representing myself, mahalo nui for the opportunity to be heard and your attention to this testimony. Thank you. WATANABE: Thank you. Fellow Commissioners, do we have any quest Lopez? Seeing none, thank you for your testimony. I failed to mention this earlier but, you know, we do have a fairly significant amount of people that are going to testify. So before we move on, let me make this clear. Please letÓs not be redundant and try to be concise; and IÓm going to contain you to three minutes, okay, of testimony. Otherwise, the proceedings can extend significantly. And with that, maybe IÓll turn it over to you, Marni. HERKES: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. IÓm Marni Herkes, Post Office Box 571, Hlualoa 96725, and I will be short. You have a copy of my testimony. As usual you have a copy of everybody elseÓs. I am speaking in support of the Palamanui development with which I am familiar. And I admit to some disappointment that this development is unable to unfold in the manner in which it was planned. I look forward to a new paradigm for electricity, a new paradigm for waste disposal, parks, roads, and commercial, although on the road section I must say that we are overloaded right now because everybody is out of work. So if we need more roads, weÓre going to have to put more people to work because our roads are empty, our parking lots are empty, and our stores are empty. This was going to be the first development that exemplified the Kona Regional Plan Transit Oriented Development but other things intruded, like a failed economy. I must admit that this is not the only disappointment this economy has delivered: a retirement that was pitiable in the good days and now is even more so; a car dealer with whom I still have a maintenance contract but has disappeared; restaurants closing; no super ferry to ride and two sons out of work. So I am impacted as well as developers by this economy. But I like to look on the bright side of things; and there are some good things also. Some bright horizon happenings that give me hope are Target opening in Kona; Thirty Meter Telescope choosing Hawaii; the Kona Regional Plan being implemented, and that was wonderful the day EXHIBIT B 10